Export payments probably aren't the main function which you'd miss by not having a Smart Meter @homonid

It's still commonly the case that Suppliers don't collect meter readings for exports via the Smart Meter communications system.
Instead they either ask you to provide the reading online or via an App.

The more significant problem is that you require a Smart Meter in order to enjoy Time of Use (ToU) tariffs.
Unless the Supplier can retrieve your half-hourly consumption data, then they will only offer you a fixed-rate tariff.
That will be prohibitively expensive for running a Heat Pump or recharging a Storage Battery from the Grid.

Posted by: @homonid

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The heat pump is a Nibe F2040-12kW.

Here's the relevant portion of the specifications table from the Nibe Installation Manual

If the outside air temperature is 7°C and the ASHP Flow temperature is 45°C, then it will operate using 1.31kW of power at 230v AC
That is 5.7A of current.

But the Nibe 12kW model draws 23A of current to start, most of which (22A) is required by the compressor.

It seems to have an inbuilt feature to reduce the switch-on surge of the electric motors themselves.
That's why the following line reads "Starting current" of only 5A.

So you'd need at least a 6kW inverter just to run this heat-pump on its own.

@transparent Thanks again for all the useful information.

On my second attempt to get a smart meter installed I was told that an additional antennae could be installed to ensure a strong enough signal, but after four appointments were made and cancelled, I was told there was a shortage of suitable meters and they did not know when they would be back in stock.

Some months later I noticed my utility was offering £50 for switching to a smart meter so I asked again for one to be installed. An installer did come, installed a meter but could not get a signal. There were two lights that had to illuminate to show the meter was connected. He said the first light was to show that the meter had been found and recognised, and the second that a connection had been made to transmit the data. The second light never illuminated.

I mentioned what I had been told about installing an extra antennae and he said I had been lied to!

@transparent If, hypothetically, several devices started at the same time, including the heat pump, and drew more surge power than the inverter could provide, would it simply draw the extra power from the grid our would there be a failure somewhere in this process?
Thanks again for all the information you are providing.

Posted by: @homonid

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I mentioned what I had been told about installing an extra antennae and he said I had been lied to!

1: I've just posted a photo of such an antenna on the outside of my meter box.
In the photo just above that, you can see the holes in the SKU2 cover where the aerial wires connect to.

2: I am a member of the SEC.

In the photo above you can see the Mesh aerial wire (green arrow) hanging down from the Communications Hub (blue arrow).

The Comms hub is labelled "SKU2 Cellular and Mesh"!

I don't suppose you know what the Smart Meter looked like when you last had an installer on site?

@transparent The meter looked similar to yours but without the small box on the front. Somebody didn't tell the installer about extra antennae!

Posted by: @homonid

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If, hypothetically, several devices started at the same time, including the heat pump, and drew more surge power than the inverter could provide, would it simply draw the extra power from the grid our would there be a failure somewhere in this process?

The answer depends on the model of inverter and whether the HP is connected to an off-grid-only output.

Let's look at this generic diagram of a SunSynk inverter:

I've crossed out the Backup Load label, and renamed that port Off grid.

If there's sufficient charge in the battery, then it will supply appliances on the Off-grid output up the maximum rating of the inverter.

It can also supply solar power to appliances on the On-Grid / Home connection if there's more than enough to satisfy the Off-grid Loads and the battery.
It depends how you configure it.

Let's suppose this is an inverter rated at 8kW.
That's the maximum load you should ever connect to that Off-grid port.
So it's inadequate to supply your Nibe ASHP during start-up.

But if the ASHP was connected to the On-grid port, then it will take whatever the inverter can give it first, and then draw from the grid if more power is required.

Appliances connected between the grid and the inverter will not operate in the event of a power-cut.

That's a very basic explanation.

SunSynk inverters are more versatile than this.
They also have an Aux port which can be configured for mains input or output, and is most often used for a diesel generator...
... but could be used for another solar inverter.

And you can also add another existing solar inverter as a secondary source alongside the SunSynk.

If you want versatility, then Sunsynk inverters can provide it...
... but versatility has a twin brother called 'complexity'.

Posted by: @homonid

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The meter looked similar to yours but without the small box on the front.

Whereabouts are you in the UK (roughly).

There are two different Smart Meter networks.
Which one you have depends on your location.

Ignore whether there's a box on the front...
... the Communication Hubs for South & Central territories have a row of five LEDs which can illuminate green,
and the Northern Territory Coms Hubs have two LEDs, either of which can be green or red.

Each type of Comms Hub goes through an initialisation sequence when first installed.
Although they use the LEDs to provide the installer with information, they aren't fulfilling their usual functions during that first minute or two.

@transparent I'm in Cumbria and the meter did have two LEDs. The installer did wait 15 minutes or so to see if the meter could get the second signal but it never happened.

@transparent Thanks again for the information. The variety of different ways in which one can set up a home energy system is a little overwhelming! It is interesting to see that the inverter can supply both the on-grid home circuit and an off grid home circuit. Much food for thought.

OK. So your Wide Area Network is operated by Arqiva.

It uses 400 mast-mounted transmitter poles running on the old ITV analogue frequency, which I believe is around 423MHz...
... except for the area around Fylingdales where that would've interfered with the UK Listening Post.

Arqiva runs a lot of essential broadcast apparatus in UK, such as Tetra for police communications.
They have expert engineers and detailed coverage maps.
I'm very surprised that a Meter Installer wouldn't already know the coverage available at your site before he arrived.

It's possible that the issue isn't your location, but rather that the position where your mains incomer arrives happens to be a dead spot.
That can occur when a metal object lies between you and the nearest transmitter.

Have you an old oil-tank or corrugated iron shed nearby?

Have you possibly used aluminium-faced insulation board during renovation work?

The installer said there was a transmitter nearby and he was surprised the meter could not connect.

The house and barn form an L shape and the meter is located above a door on the inside angle of the L and the house sits at the bottom of a valley, so a suspect there is just to much mass of stone to enable a clear signal.

There is no metalwork or aluminium backed insulation to cause any interference.

I am quite happy to run a cable down from the barn roof if that will solve the signal problem.